Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is a new front row, a one-tonne scrum, a bomb squad if I'm extra good, and a solemn promise that I'll never again to subjected to a match that involves either Rassie Erasmus or Matthew Carley. Speaking of which, please don't send any more cards ...
Andy Farrell has launched a strong defence of his decision to select Sam Prendergast for Saturday's clash with South Africa, dismissing concerns over the Leinster out-half's defence.
This clash with the All Blacks is coming so early in the season that it's hard to get a gauge on player form, but there's a freshness to the team Andy Farrell picked that suggests he's learnt lessons from last season's defeat in the same fixture. Seven of his starting pack were Lions last summer, six of them took part in the Test series, and while there's a worry over their lack of game-time, there's a lot of experience and class up front to bridge the gap.
